They were frequent flyers between New Delhi and Chennai. Sonu (26) and Sanjeev (30) of Uttar Pradesh looked like elite travellers who shuffled between the national capital and metros. Little would anybody suspect that they were part of a notorious gang that flew to cities across the country to snatch gold chains.
According to police sources, a constable attached to the Valasaravakkam station signalled two youths on a motorcycle to stop on Tuesday. When they ignored and sped past him, the irked constable gave chase on the busy road and apprehended Sonu. Handing him over to some locals, the constable continued the chase and apprehended the motorcyclist Sanjeev.
Verification of vehicle records showed that the motorcycle belonged to one of them. Though the duo initially tried to mislead the police by giving false information, interrogation by a team of officers brought out the shocking fact that they belonged to a gang operating across the country.
“The modus operandi of these youth was to take flights to Chennai and other major cities. They would go around snatching gold chains and return to New Delhi by train. Unlike other culprits who use stolen vehicles to commit chain-snatching offences, these persons bought latest motorcycles. They wanted to avoid getting caught by the police during routine vehicle checks,” a police officer said.
Preliminary enquiries revealed that they were operating in Chennai since early this year. “They were part of a five-member gang that came to the city once a fortnight. We have the details of the other three suspects. The accused know little about the city's topography…they would just go around and snatch gold chains.”
Investigation revealed that the accused would park their motorcycles in the parking lot at the Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus (CMBT), Koyambedu. After checking into a hotel in the locality, they would strike and return.
